Japanese patent publication JP 5050346A discloses a machine for separative machining of plate-shaped workpieces by means of a laser beam, in the form of a combined laser and punch machine. The machine disclosed by JP 5050346A implements hybrid motion control in which the workpiece is moved in a first direction (direction X), and the machining head is moved in a second direction (direction Y). The workpiece bearing is discontinuous in the displacement range of the machining head to prevent the workpiece bearing from being in a line of sight of the processing beam to avoid damaging the workpiece bearing by the processing beam. In particular, the workpiece bearing may be split and/or include a gap that extends in the Y direction between two workpiece bearing faces or workpiece bearings. The processing beam that has passed through the workpiece and any slag and cutting waste that may arise are expelled through this gap. The processing beam may be a laser beam, but the use of another type of high power beam, for example in the form of a plasma arc, or of a water jet, is also possible.
When such a laser processing machine has an additional axis for moving the machining head in the direction X, it is advantageous for the gap in the workpiece bearing to have a minimum width that corresponds to at least a displacement range of the machining head in the direction X. By means of the additional axis the machining head may be displaced with a high level of dynamics within the gap. Moreover, a wide gap allows small to medium-size cutting waste, residual mesh parts, or comparatively small workpiece parts, which may be separated from one another and from the slag with the aid of parts chutes, for example, to fall freely. In this way, small parts may be removed from the cutting region in a significantly more rapid manner than by way of the pivoting movement of a discharge flap provided for this purpose.
However, a large gap width may also have a negative effect when cutting off comparatively small workpiece parts, since small workpiece parts are not adequately supported in the gap region and by virtue of the high gas pressure of the cutting gas that exits from the processing nozzle on the machining head and impacts the cut off workpiece parts, the small workpiece parts potentially tilt in the gap and in some instances potentially catch on the residual workpiece.
German patent publication DE 10 2011 054 360 A1 discloses a machine tool, in particular a laser processing machine, which has a workpiece bearing for receiving plate-shaped materials, as well as a separation device having a machining head that is displaceable at least in the direction Y. The workpiece bearing has a first bearing table having a first bearing face, and a second bearing table having a second bearing face, wherein the bearing faces for forming a gap are mutually spaced apart underneath the machining head, and wherein the position of the gap and the width of the gap in the machining region of the separation procedure is adjustable by the mutual positioning of the bearing tables in the direction X. A controller unit is provided that controls a displacement movement of the bearing tables such that a gap width between the bearing tables is adjustable, the gap width being adapted to a size of a workpiece part or a waste part that is to be downwardly discharged through the gap between the bearing tables.
Japanese patent publication JP 2003-245838 A discloses a machine for machining plate-shaped workpieces for a cutting plate. The machine has a gap having an adaptable gap width to be disposed within a discharge flap of a workpiece bearing that is capable of being opened and closed and for a further discharge flap that is contiguous to the cutting plate to be provided. The gap width may be adjusted so as to depend on the dimensions of workpiece parts, or of scrap parts, respectively, to be discharged.
German patent publication DE 36 20 896 A1 discloses a support and transport device for planar workpieces that comprises at least one endless conveyor belt that in the region of a cutting tool is guided over a deflection roller that is mounted on a slide that is displaceable in a controlled manner in the longitudinal direction of the machine, so as to be synchronous with the cutting tool. A robust safety bar may be inserted into the gap between the conveyor belts.
Japanese patent publication JP 2013-119101 A discloses a machine for the thermal processing of workpieces, in which a machining head moves in one direction (direction Y) across the workpiece. In the case of the machine, an opening at which the machining head in the movement thereof in the direction Y is momentarily located is formed only in one region of the workpiece bearing, i.e., the movement of the opening is synchronized with the movement of the machining head in the direction Y. A plurality of pairs of plates are disposed on the workpiece bearing in the region of the displacement path of the machining head in the direction Y. The plates of a respective pair of plates for forming the opening are moved apart from one another in the direction X, as soon as the machining head moves in the direction Y to the position of a respective pair of plates.
Japanese patent publication JP 63278694 A describes a workpiece table for laser cutting, in which a support plate is pivoted in a motorized manner to a horizontal position, so as to prevent an inclination of the workpiece material immediately prior to cutting. The support plate is provided between the support pins that are disposed in a grid pattern and which support the workpiece during machining by cutting.
US patent publication US 2010/0181165 A1 discloses a machine for cutting to shape a strip-shaped material that is conveyed from a coil. The machine includes a first row of conveyor belts that are aligned so as to be mutually parallel and a second row of conveyor belts that are aligned so as to be mutually parallel. A portal system having two mutually reliant axes enables movement of a laser processing head in two directions. A gap that is formed between the conveyor belts of the first and of the second row forms an opening or a path, respectively, for the passage of the laser beam when producing a cut. The conveyor belts are displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped material so as to generate a gap corresponding to that profile that is to be cut on the strip-shaped material by means of the laser beam.
US patent publication US 2006/0118529 A1 also describes a machine for laser cutting strip-shaped materials that are conveyed from a strip along an indexing direction. The machine has a laser processing head that is moveable in the feed direction (direction X) and transversely to the feed direction (direction Y). The machine has two conveyor belts that are disposed ahead of and behind the laser processing head, respectively, in the feed direction and that serve for supporting the strip-shaped material or for supporting workpiece parts that are cut therefrom, respectively.
Japanese patent publication JP 2004-050184 A discloses a support table mechanism for a workpiece, in which two strip surfaces that are disposed in approximately the same plane may be disposed so as to be closer to or farther apart from one another, so as to support a workpiece or a workpiece part, respectively, is described in. Rollers having movable axes are provided, so as to form an opening region between the two strip surfaces. Opening and closing of the opening region is controlled by displacing the axial positions of the rollers.